


of death and florists

by sharknado



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gay Witches, M/M, a lot of shit happens.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 06:16:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18772936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharknado/pseuds/sharknado
Summary: evander, a young carpenter looking to cure his brother's illness, crosses paths with a witch named aster, and his life is changed forever. witches have been hunted down and killed by a tyrannical king and his daughter out of jealousy and fear, but there's one place where they can be safe--the western woods. the woods destroy anyone with less than good intentions, and when they accept evander, aster's curiosity is caught.





	of death and florists

**Author's Note:**

> hi, this is one of my first times posting original work online. please enjoy it and give feedback. i will update soon.

His laughter reminded Evander of the way that honey tasted in tea. The way that floral strength and sweet, golden honey could dance together and create something almost magical was very reminiscent of Aster’s laughter. And his eyes...and his smile. Sweetness and beauty was everything that Aster was. However, the thing about Aster, is that he was magical. The very quirk of Aster’s lips could make the sun peer out from behind her protective clouds. The words that he spoke could heal even the sickest of people. He was quite literally a witch who lived very deep in the woods just beyond the town that Evander lived in. 

He discovered Aster by accident one day in the marketplace. That mistake would change his life forever, and Evander thought about it constantly. 

 

“Evander, good morning,” Hawthorne smiled, looking at his younger friend from behind the counter of his bakery. The scent of fresh bread filled the air even outside; it was truly a heavenly moment when he opened the doors. 

“Morning, Hawthorne,” Evander yawned. “Have you guys brewed coffee yet? I can’t seem to wake up.”

Hawthorne shuffled behind the counter, laughing a little bit at Evander’s sleepiness. 

“Try waking up at five in the morning every day, you lazy dog.”

“I’m not a baker,” Evander argued, suddenly becoming a little offended at the insinuation that he was lazy. “You know I work hard! Maybe if you had to build things, you’d be tired, too.”

Shaking his head, the baker slipped the cup of coffee over towards Evander. 

“It’s a joke, my friend. I know you work harder in a day than most people do in a lifetime. Have you really been considering becoming a part of the King’s Guard? That’s a dangerous thing to do. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Evander sighed, stirring the sugar into his coffee. Becoming a part of the King’s Guard could easily help him pay for the things he had to...And Hawthorne knows that. Jolan was like his brother- Just because he had gone to live with Hawthorne didn’t mean Evander couldn’t help take care of him. Such a sickly man needed the best treatments possible, and the only healer that Evander knew of who could handle Jolan’s illness was a doctor who lived on a beach very far from their town. He had the best education from the most prestigious school….It was much more than Evander, a carpenter, or Hawthorne, a baker, could afford.

“Hawthorne, you know that a baker’s wages can’t exactly heal Jolan. You take amazing care of him, but I want to make sure that he’s healed. For good. His eyesight is going. His health is my only concern.”

Hawthorne watches Evander down his coffee and run a hand through his hair. Evander knows that expression. He was like a concerned old man….his eyebrows furrowed, and he gave a frown, but he knew that Evander couldn’t be swayed otherwise. 

“You just...be careful, okay? I don’t want to lose another person to mindless violence,” Hawthorne huffed, making sure that the pastries all looked perfect in their little display case. “You know how people are, and you know how the King is. He’s not a kind man, and that spoiled Princess is just as malicious.”

The singing lovebirds were the only thing that broke the silence. Memories of a few years ago hit hard- The healer who used to live in their town was a witch, and the Princess of the land hated every single person who so much uttered a spell. Sable was a kind, gentle young woman, and her friends were just as sweet. Amber, Violet, Poppy...They fled as soon as their hope was gone. Saving Sable, no matter what they did, couldn’t happen. Evander nodded. Despite the fact that he wasn’t a witch and had no magical talents, he knew that he should still be careful. Even sympathizing with someone the royals despised was a bad idea. 

“I know. I should be fine, I’m not a witch or anything...I’ll make sure to get my coins and then leave.” 

“Good,” Hawthorne sighed. “It’s only a matter of time until we’re at war with some country. I really don’t want that to happen...I can’t imagine how Jolan would take it. It would stress him out so much, especially if I was to be recruited for war…He’s too sick to- Who would take care of him?”

“Don’t stress about that now,” Evander smiled gently, knowing how upset Hawthorne got, how quickly he would be stressed about things… “Let’s focus on the day at hand, yeah? I think...today’s gonna be good.”

“Mm. I think so, too. Jolan has been walking well...I think that dog has done him good,” Hawthorne’s expression changed almost instantly at the mention of his moonlight, the one that he would give everything for. “I think that sometime soon, he’ll be just fine. I mean...he’s a strong person, you know?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Evander beamed. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever told you this, but back before you two became the couple of the town, he used to talk about wanting to marry you all the time. It was funny….why haven’t you done that yet? Marry my brother or I’ll go to war.”

“What are you two being so loud for?” Jolan’s voice interrupts them both. “Evander, isn’t today your day off? You should be asleep, you overwork yourself far too much.”

“I have a few errands to run, and then I’m going to rest. I’m fine, Jolan. How’s Sorrel?”

The dog barked in response to Evander’s question, and Hawthorne peered over the counter to see the puppy running around, and Jolan settling himself onto the chair behind him with only a little difficulty. 

“Sweetheart,” Jolan began. “Can you please make me some tea-? My throat is killing me….And Sorrel is wonderful, Evander. She’s the sweetest little thing, isn’t she?”

“I hope your cough subdues soon,” Hawthorne said, fixing Jolan’s tea and glancing up at him, only to give him the brightest smile, even though he knew Jolan wouldn’t be able to see it. They really were like the sun and the moon. “I miss hearing your singing all the time. That’s what keeps me going in the mornings.”

“So that’s why you’ve been a lazy dog, huh?” Evander asked, faux-anger in his eyes. Hawthorne stared back intensely before he burst into laughter, trying to keep an equally furious facade up. 

“I’ll get better, you know I will,” Jolan laughed, stroking Sorrel’s head and watching the two men laugh. 

“I’m going to get to work. Jolan, you don’t push yourself too much, understand? I’ll strangle Hawthorne if you even lift a finger,” Evander grinned. “Alright. See you guys later.”

 

Evander’s fate was going to change in a matter of moments, yet he had no idea. 

He stepped out into the sunlight and smiled softly; the early morning air greeted him once more and the taste of coffee was still lingering on his tongue. It was a beautiful morning that only got better when Jolan’s laughter echoed from inside of the bakery, no coughing interrupting him. Evander took a step into the world and watched a black cat dart across the square. 

“Violet seeds? You must be a wonderful gardener,” he overheard one of the merchants say softly.

“I think I have a green thumb,” a voice replied. “See? Watch this…”

Looking up, Evander could see a cloaked figure standing in front of one of the merchants. He was wearing a cloak kind of like the ones that Sable and her friends would wear. It made Evander’s heart sink for a moment. Ah, Sable…Evander could still see the room that she and her friends would work out of. The cloaked man lowered his hood, revealing shining blonde hair and the most piercing blue eyes- Evander was amazed. How do humans look like that? His skin shone with the sun and his lips were glossy and pink, as if they were rose petals, early morning dew still clinging to them. The carpenter couldn’t tear his eyes away from him as he gave the most gentle and kind smile, kissed one of the seeds that he held, and out sprung an already blooming flower. 

The young merchant’s eyes widened and she gasped with surprise. Evander was glad to see her happy; at the age of only 13 she had to deal with so much…

“It’s beautiful! How did you do that?”

“What’s your name?” The stranger almost completely ignored the question and tucked the flower behind the young girl’s ear. “I don’t give my secrets to strangers.”

“My name? It’s Joy,” she replied, completely captivated with the flower that was in her hair. “What about you? I’ve only seen you around here once, and that was a few weeks ago.”

“I don’t leave my house much, miss Joy. Not in the daytime, at least…” 

Evander walked a little closer.

“My friends call me Aster,” the stranger hummed. “I won’t give you my secret, but I’ll tell you this. You can do that, too. You can make the world a lot more beautiful, and you do already. Keep your head up, Joy. I know things have been hard.”

Joy blinked. 

“How did you know?”

“Intuition,” Aster replied. “Listen to me. Don’t give up. I’ll see you around, okay?”

Aster paid for his seeds and turned around to leave, however, when he was about to pull up his hood, he foolishly didn’t look at where he was going, and bumped into Evander. The smaller man gasped quietly and looked up.

“I’m sorry-”

“Don’t be!” Evander grinned. “I like your cloak. It reminds me of my friend.”

Aster smiled awkwardly, pulling his hood over his head again. It seemed that it was his comfort…

“Thank you. It’s something very important to me.”

Just as the blonde was about to leave, Evander stopped him. 

“Hey, wait! I haven’t seen you around town before. Are you new here?”

Aster shook his head. 

“No, I’ve been around.”

Evander tried his hardest to keep up conversation. He really was captivated by this fairylike man, and at this point he was certain that he was some kind of...supernatural being. Maybe one of the faefolk who buried themselves away in the far off woods. Maybe he was a spirit! Or a...witch. Most people didn’t believe in magic anymore…. but Evander had the priviledge of seeing it with his very own eyes before the King and his daughter went on their anti-magic raids. Evander remembered the way that magic made the town feel...It was beautiful.

“Oh! Uh, well, could I ask you a favor?” Evander asked, and Aster furrowed his brow in response. “My brother...he really loves roses! I’ve never been able to grow any myself. Do you have any…? I’d buy a few off of you, I just want to make his day a little better. He’s a sickly person, so…”

Aster’s look of confusion melted into a kind smile- but then his eyes hardened slightly. Ah. What was that look, Evander wondered?

“I have roses,” Aster responded. His voice was so much harder and more...conservative than it was when he spoke to Joy. “But can I trust you? My flowers are...special.”

For some reason, Evander had the aching suspicion that he wasn’t nervous about the flowers, but he was nervous about the fact that witches had been persecuted for so long now. Aster seemed to be the kind of person to slink around in the shadows. No wonder he kept his hood up; he must not like going out into town in the daytime. Evander’s heart hurt quite a bit. He couldn’t imagine having to hide in fear of being burned at a stake, or worse…

“You can trust me,” Evander’s voice was gentle, almost as if he was speaking to a small animal, attempting to coax a rabbit into his hands. “I know...things have been hard lately. Especially for you. But I won’t hurt you.”

“...Okay,” Aster nodded. “You promise me? You know, I can kill you if you try something funny…”

“I know you can,” Evander laughed. “You don’t think I’d hurt you, do you? I have nothing to gain from being cruel.”

The atmosphere seemed to return to the calm and almost fun aura that surrounded Aster. The sun seemed to shine even brighter and the butterflies danced around them. 

“I have to pick up something from that bakery,” Aster said curtly. “You can come with me and then I’ll take you to where I live. It’s stupid of me, but I trust you. I’ll cut your heart out if you dare hurt me.”

“I won’t hurt you, Aster!” Evander tried his hardest to reassure him. “In fact, you can know everything about me. My name is Evander, I’m a carpenter, my best friend and my brother own that bakery that you want to go into. Their names are Hawthorne and Jolan. I’ve built almost every new place in this town, and I bought my brother a dog last month.”

Aster snickered. Ah. That must have gotten to him.

“You don’t lead a very exciting life, do you?”

 

“I don’t, but I like simplicity. I find joy in waking up,” Evander shrugged.

“Well then….Come on, Mr. Simplicity. We have things to do, my home is a while away from here.”

Aster turned and walked towards the bakery, and Evander followed. He could tell that this would become a trend in their day. Perhaps even in their friendship...if that happened. Either way, Evander followed happily and pulled Aster’s hood down once they got inside.

“Jolan’s sight isn’t the best, he can’t really see,” Evander murmured. “So he doesn’t like things obscuring customer’s faces....”

He could tell that Aster was about to swing on him but once he heard the explanation he calmed down. 

“His sight is going…? Due to his illness?”

Evander nodded. “We don’t really know what it is, either...but he’s strong. I’m trying to find more work so I can pay for his treatments.”

“Evander! Is that you?” Jolan’s voice calls from behind the counter. “Do you actually have a friend with you? That’s a first. Did you forget something here?”

Hawthorne laughs a bit at Jolan’s snarkiness. He missed that upbeat energy about him. When he was in better health, he acted like this all the time. Joking around and whatnot…

“I do have a friend with me! His name is Aster,” Evander brought him up to the counter, and Sorrel pounced on Aster’s feet, biting at the cloak he wore.

“Hey, Sorrel…” Evander laughed, picking her up. “Aster. Pick what you want, I’ll cover you. I appreciate the trouble you’re going through.”

“Ah? Your friend wants something?” Jolan furrowed his brow. “Come closer, let me see...Oh! Someone that pretty is talking to Evander? That’s a shocker!”

Aster blushed, and for a moment Evander swore he fell in love. 

“I’m not pretty,,” Aster laughed. “It’s the early morning light. Everything looks better in the golden sun.”

“You are pretty!” Evander sounded almost offended on Aster’s behalf. “Don’t talk down about yourself.”

“Ah…Young love,” Jolan teased. “Go on now, pick out what you want. Hawthorne can get it for you.”

“He likes chocolate croissants,” Aster murmured, putting his hand on his cheek in thought. “Two chocolate croissants, three rose buns, and a few baguettes please. Thank you, Evander.”

“You’re welcome! Who likes chocolate croissants?” Evander asked. “Or am I being too nosy?”

“You’ll meet him later,” Aster hummed. 

Hawthorne quirked a brow and handed Evander the bag of pastries, only to be glared at by the carpenter. 

“Evander. Is that any way to treat your senio-”

“Huh?” Aster turned his head.

“Shut up-!” Evander shook his head. “Gimme the pastries. I’ll be back later tonight. Don’t overwork yourself.”

Laughing, Hawthorne rubbed his forehead in exasperation. What a loser. 

“See you later.”

And with that, the pair was off, walking into the morning sun yet again. A few minutes passed by quietly. Mornings were peaceful in this town; Evander always daydreamed about the day that he would walk outside of his house in the mornings, a bag full of clothes and food in one hand and his child’s hand in the other, maybe even with them on his shoulders. They’d make their way through the square and past the hall, all the way to the lake that was surrounded by the forest, and there, he’d remember things he and his father did long ago, and he would give his child the life he wished he had. 

“Aster,” Evander hummed. Conversation. They had to make some kind of conversation. Some way to pass the time until they got to Aster’s house. “Do you like dogs?”

“I have two of my own,” the blonde offered a gentle smile at the mention of his dogs. “Do you..?”

“Mm. Of course. I don’t have one, but my brother’s dog is basically like my own. Sorrel is the cutest little thing,” Evander held out the bag of pastries Aster just so happened to forget that Evander was holding. “Oh. Did you want these? I can carry them, if you want.”

“No, I’ll carry them. But I need to tell you something,” Aster began, taking his little bag of pastries. “I live really far off...In the heart of the Western Woods.”

He stopped walking and made eye contact with Evander once more. That was something that Aster liked to do, huh? Holding eye contact must be important to him. Aster had stopped walking, and Evander noticed how he subtly held his hand out towards a flower nearby him, almost for comfort. His eyes were so intense….Well, that’s nice...Evander could look into those forget-me-not blue eyes all day long. He realized the little things about him too in that split second. His eyebrow was scarred. His lips made a cupid’s bow, and they reminded him of flower petals, glossy with dew. Those eyes were intense and cold yet gentle and warm all at once. How? He was stunning. 

But then, it clicked. Aster was warning him about where he lived. The Western Woods were famous for their judge of character. Impure hearts would be eaten alive. The ivy and the trees would suffocate the impure slowly. Those with malicious intent were swallowed whole; the forest would revolt and the moment they would step beyond the trees, the earth would quiver and the wolves would feed better than they had in months. However, those who were kind and pure were celebrated, the animals and the plants embracing them, keeping them safe and flourishing. The Western Woods were the last known bit of natural magical land in the kingdom, and the only reason for that was that once a guard or military man stepped his foot in the woods, he would be eaten. No cruelty stood a chance in those woods.

Aster sighed as he stood amongst the tulips that kissed his fingers. Evander looked past him. They were almost to the border of the town, almost to the woods. Taking a deep breath in, the shorter man turned on his heel and walked towards the edge of the forest. Evander could already feel the magic surrounding them, even this far away. He missed the way that the world felt before such cruelty took hold. His little town, his friends, dear Sable, Amber, Violet, Poppy...They were all gone. It hurt his heart, but to be so physically close to someone so true and magical made him feel so much better. 

“Hey, wait up-!”

Evander ran after him; the sun was beginning to crawl even higher in the sky. Midday was approaching quickly. They had already spent this much time together? It felt like mere moments. Why was Evander so captivated? Perhaps it was a spell. 

Aster only slowed and turned when they reached the edge of the woods. He looked Evander in the eyes and took a step back, another, another, until the flowers blossomed around him. He seemed to sink into the foliage. Mysterious...Aster was so mysterious. Such a precious looking, almost porcelain doll perfect man was so cloaked in secrets. He watched with intensity; Evander felt his firey gaze burn into him, practically branding him.

The carpenter smiled at the witch and laughed softly when he could see a small deer poke her head out from behind an oak.

“Do you not believe that I’m not trying to kill you?”

“I don't trust anyone, dear Evander.”

There was a constant hum of speech--Evander never seemed to shut up, and Aster seemed to enjoy listening. However, when Evander stepped into the forest, the silence was palpable. Nothing but the wind could be heard.

The small doe Evander had spotted stepped forward and nuzzled his hand; the sun shone even brighter. The western woods embraced him, and the relief in Aster's eyes was evident. Evander had a pure heart. Humans with kind hearts were hard to come by those days.

“Do you believe me now?”

Aster’s expression turned into a smile. Genuine- a real smile! Evander swore to himself that he had seen the sun shine at that point. The stars were dancing in his eyes and the sun pulled at his cheeks to make him grin. 

“If the forest trusts you, I can trust you as well. But you know that it’s going to take a while for me to actually like you,” Aster smirked. “Come on. Your brother needs roses, doesn’t he?”

“He does!” 

Evander followed after him, and the doe did as well.

“What’s her name?” He asked, looking towards the doe for a moment. “If she’s going to follow us, I guess she’s a friend, then, huh?”

A small laugh echoed through the trees. Aster looked back and shrugged. 

“I don’t know, you name her. She likes you, not me. Are you sure you’re not a witch?”

“Me? A witch? I build things. I can’t do magic!”

“Witches can build things! Evander, she could be your familiar,” he joked. “You’ve gotten an odd air about you, I’ll tell you that much. I tried to pinpoint it earlier, but you’re not like most humans I’ve met.”

That struck a little bit of worry in Evander’s heart. Does that mean he’s a bad person? The forest trusts him..He can’t be that bad. Will he die? Something different? What’s that supposed to mean?

“It’s not a bad thing,” Aster paused. “It’s a weird, non-consequential thing. I just think you may be a little different than most people.”

They ventured off of the walking path and onto a much less tread path. It was the way to a small home in the middle of the most dangerous yet peaceful place on earth. Aster’s silence was interrupted by his own voice; a small song of greeting to the creatures who lived close by. A few birds sang in response, and Evander’s doe closed her eyes as she trusted Aster’s voice to carry her to her destination. 

Trees around them seemed to bend to the way that Aster’s voice sounded. Evander watched with wide eyes as midday, darkness took over. The trees laced the canopies together and allowed hundreds of lightning bugs to come out and rest on flowers, to glow near the enchanting pair. It was as if stars had come down from the sky, only to surround the two of them. The world was small, the two of them in that moment was something so beautiful to Evander that he had no idea how to handle it. It almost made him feel overwhelmed,but why..? This stranger must have enchanted him somehow. Maybe it really was a spell. The doe nuzzled Evander’s hand yet again.

“Her name is Juliet,” Evander murmured to himself, not wanting to interrupt Aster. “I think it suits the doe quite well, doesn’t it….”

They finally reached their destination and Aster’s place of living; it was a small cottage in a clearing, a little pond not too far away from it. It was true, Aster was an amazing gardener. The flowers and plants around his home grew in abundance, and the fruits looked beautiful. Evander beamed at the sight of a small rabbit hopping along the clearing. 

“It’s a bit run down,” Aster muttered. “But it’s home. Sorry.”

“Astera,” a voice, a very small voice, called out. “ASTERA! LOOK WHAT I DID! I CAUGHT A BUNCH OF ANTS THIS MORNI-”

A red-haired child came running from the house and towards Aster, but paused, his little box in his hands. His eyes seemed to widen in fear at the sight of Aster with another person, fumbling in his stance a little. Evander’s heart felt like it had grown ten times larger. He had a kid-? How sweet- He was a gardener and a dad...Then again, he called him “Astera”...was that Aster’s full name? 

“Astera….who’s standing behind you…? Who is this guy-”

Aster snickered when Evander himself turned around to see who was behind him before he realized that the child was talking about him.

“This is Evander. He’s a friend. You know that the forest won’t let any bad people in, don’t you remember?”

He knelt down to the child’s level and beckoned him closer. A gentle kiss was placed to his forehead when he got close enough, and Evander watched on with a smile.

“Ah, you’re so troublesome. What did I say about bugs in the house? No boxes of ants in the house, Basil..”

“Evander, huh? He’s built like a tree. How tall are you, huh?”

Aster rolled his eyes when he was ignored and then stood up, almost offended. Evander couldn’t help but grin.

“Yeah, Aster! How short are you?”

“Hey! We aren’t that much different in height. Evander’s a carpenter in that town, you know. That’s why he looks bigger. He has muscles.”

Aster glared at Evander and huffed yet again.

“None of that matters. Come on, let’s get your roses. Basil needs lunch, too…”

“Is he your son..?” Evander asked, watching Basil run ahead and almost trip on a rock. Clumsy little thing. 

“No, he’s the son of a few witches I knew a long time ago. He’s only about four now….His parents were killed when he was an infant. I had to save him somehow.”

“Ah...I’m sorry.”

“Death happens,” Aster murmured. “It’ll happen to me one day, too. But it’s okay. I just want to give him the best life he can have, and that means staying here for as long as possible. He’s far too magical to leave here yet. He’d sneeze and a star would be born. I don’t know what it is. He’s just powerful.”

He couldn’t imagine that. Such a powerful child….But how could someone want to kill a sweet little thing like that? Evander was led into the house and was immediately charmed by it. In all honesty, he could probably change some things….He’d make it a little stronger of a house, probably fix the roof, reinforce it a bit...but it was beautiful. It was lit by candles that didn’t seem to burn down. The wax dripped over the edge and sunk back into the candlestick itself. From the kitchen window, Evander could see the almost overflowing garden, where two puppies scampered around and played. 

“Did you have a good day today?” Basil asked quietly, standing close to Aster and holding onto his cloak with one hand. “No one was mean to you, right?”

“I had a very good day, Basil.”

Aster picked him up and let the small child put his hands on his cheeks, studying the older witch’s features with intensity, almost as if he was looking for injuries.

“I met Evander, he’s a very good man and he got you those chocolate croissants you like so much. Say thank you, okay?”

Basil’s eyes lit up at the mention of his favorite treats.

“Thank you-!” His smile was wide and he looked at Aster with excitement. “Give me one!”

“That wasn’t very polite.”

“Please? Please give me one?” 

Aster reached into the bag on the counter and gave him one of his croissants- It was like watching a dog get a treat. Basil was instantly silenced and content as he ate, closing his eyes and humming, leaning on Aster’s shoulder. 

Evander sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen and watched Aster make tea with the wave of a hand. A teapot opened and flowers hovered inside of it. The water that he waved out of the sink boiled in mid air, and nothing had ever felt more magical. This whole place was perfect.

“Basil, go lay down in the living room. You should take a nap.”

Silently, Basil nodded and when he was put down, he made his way over to the big, soft couch that he so often claimed as his own.

“He’s precious,” Evander said softly, and he hadn’t seen such a sweet look in Aster’s eyes since...well. They had met a few hours ago, but he highly doubted that he would ever see such a look from him unless it was about Basil.

“Isn’t he...He’s a handful, but..”

Aster blinked.

“Your roses. Let me get them..”


End file.
